This is a question I've posed to myself over the years, more and more as time has passed. I was born and raised in a Lutheran home, attended church and Sunday school, and was involved in my church. Then, as I aged toward my 20's, I realized many people in my church were very gossipy and judgemental of others, which really bothered me. I realize that not all churches are that way, but church is God's temple, and God instructs us as Christians to allow anyone and everyone into the church, as there would seemingly be no reason for someone to go to church unless they wanted to find God and Jesus, correct? Why is it that people must critique the newcomers when God tells us not to judge one another? Is it not true that we are all God's children and we are all of the same family? This world was born from God's decision and humans born from two people, Adam and Eve. Later, as all we Christians know, the Great Flood of Noah's time wiped out all people except for Noah and his family. This means that any way you look at it, we are all truly of the same family. So why is it that we disagree so much on scripture's meaning and that one denomination is better than another or more correct?
I will give my personal opinion on this, however I want others to share their opinion as well.
My opinion on denominations:
I believe that denominations are "special interest" groups, if you will. Catholics and Lutherans and all other denominations butt heads a lot concerning God and Jesus among other things. Each group wants to feel that they are the "chosen" to some extent. God has clearly stated that there is only one of Him, He is the one supreme entity in this universe, no questions asked, without a doubt, so there is no way that multiple religions with far-different views can truly follow the one and only God of Abraham.
My faith is based 100% solely on the Bible, I do not accept non-Bible documents as God's word, and I have many good reasons for this. One of those reasons is common sense. Think, the Bible is one of, if not the longest, book on the planet. Why would God leave something out of His one book and make it complicated to follow Him by making it necessary to look in several places for the whole story? I don't believe He would do that, God is a simple God. He demands specific things, and expects us to follow those demands, just as a child obeys their parents demands. He wants as many of His children to follow Him and worship Him as possible. I believe that God intended the Bible to reach every person, nation, language, and group on this planet because He said so. He has said in the book of Revelation that every eye on earth will have been shown who God is and given the chance to pursue God and Jesus and His lifestyle. Whether or not people pursue Him is another story. I do not believe that one bible is better or more important than another, because I do not believe God would let His only living testament to His existence be tampered with. The KJV is no more accurate or important than the NIV, so on and so forth. There are small differences, however. Keep in mind that the KJV was translated hundreds of years ago, and the NIV was translated much more recently. It simply is a more up-to-date translation for ease of reading. This does not discredit the KJV or the NIV, it simply means that I read the NIV because it is easier for me to comprehend.
Another thing I believe is that God only has one true church, the spiritual church, and we as individuals are each stones that hold that spiritual church together. Whether we go to physical church or not is not as important to God as simply being with God and Jesus in the spirit on the Sabbath. Call me backward, but I believe the Sabbath is still to be observed from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.
***Note, if it is stated in the Bible that the Sabbath is to be observed on Sunday, please let me know where it is stated, as I want to observe the Sabbath on the correct day.***
I will not type this and put out the feeling that I have read my Bible cover to cover. That is simply not true. I have read sections of each book, but not all of everything. I guess that would make me a hypocrite, however, how many of us have TRULY read 100% of the Bible? Nobody is perfect, and this is my biggest disappointment to God, the fact that I have had the time, but chose to do other things than read His word, commands, and prophecy.
My basic point of this post was to start a discussion for everyone's benefit regarding the "One, True Path to God". What is your feeling on this? Where do you disagree with me, and where do you agree with me? I am anxious to hear everyone's thoughts on this subject so I can have multiple views and be more educated about God, Jesus, and His word.
God Bless
Tim
P.S. Note that I am not attacking or accusing any individual or denomination here. I do not judge people based on their denomination, it is their choice, and that is between God and them. I just want to be confident that people will see my true point of typing this topic, which is to discuss and congregate to advance ALL of OUR knowledge regarding God and Jesus.
You said "as there would seemingly be no reason for someone to go to church unless they wanted to find God and Jesus, correct?" I wish it were like that. Many people go to church not to learn about God, but to fill their "religious quota" each week, then go on living life without God for the other six days. They're there for a number of reasons, mostly for a good appearance in their community and to their friends (I know this, because I was once one of those people).
You're right about denominations - (and I'm not talking about EVERY denominational church - there are some really great ones out there) they can sometimes be more concerned with the law (or their interpretation of it) than Jesus. And there are times that they seem to be making up their own rules as they go along. But the true followers make up the body of Christ, no matter what denomination they're involved with.
So which denomination is right? None of them. Not even church I go to has it all right. Why? Because we're human. We're going to get it wrong in some areas, right in others. I think the most important thing is to get across to people that God loves us and if we believe in Him, we are saved. And if we're sincere, we will want to get to know Him more, and He'll make sure we don't stumble.
I've used this analogy for my perception of God and the churches that in my opinion, have some doctrines wrong (and I'm not talking about the ones that might jeopardize salvation):
If a dad suddenly adopts six kids...they've never made a bed before...and he puts them in a room, with six beds, and asks them to make the bed with an instruction manual on how to do it, what would happen? I think one kid might have the pillow on the wrong end, one might have the sheet inside out, maybe one put the comforter on sideways....is the dad going to be angry because they didn't do it perfectly? No. He's going to smile, hug them, and love them anyway...because they honestly tried.
I think you hit the nail on the head with the first several sentences of your third paragraph. I believe the correct (perfect) 'denomination' is the one that only God knows about. We can follow God to the best of our ability, but we will still fall short of discovering it.
As for keeping the Sabbath, I once asked a friend what she thought was the proper day for it. She said perhaps it's more important that it is kept than that it is kept on a certain day. That sounds right to me. I would be interested to know if any Bibles out there do tag it as a specific day.
Those are both great responses! I'm happy to see that some people are not afraid to discuss this topic. Now, I understand that we as humans are imperfect, God made us that way intentionally, so we could NOT be like Him. My feeling is that He wanted us to be imperfect to show us that we cannot even reach for perfectionism without His help. But, the fact of the matter is that there already has been a perfect human being. His name was Jesus. So, even though Jesus was God's son, Jesus was still a true human being in the physical flesh, and He lead a perfect life. Why would it then be impossible for another person to live life the same way as Jesus did? True, we cannot go back and change our life in the past, but when one comes clean with God and Jesus and truly repents, they are seen as perfect again in God's eyes. I've come to find that the more sheer faith I put into God, the easier it is for me to turn away from temptation and evil. Call me a hardliner, but I think that God means EXACTLY what He says. We cannot understand what He means sometimes, but He is still perfectly clear in His word. Through time, perseverance, faith, and worship, we can become just like Jesus. A person is always in charge of their actions, whether it is something that is spoken, or something that is physically done. If a person forces themself to obey God's every law, they can do it. But, God will not allow just anyone who claims to want to be like Him be like Him. God needs proof, and he receives that proof when the person seeking Him does their sincere best to be like Him. So, in theory, a human in flesh CAN truly be just like Jesus. The human body is an amazing creation, just like everything else in this universe. The ability to adapt quickly and solve problems in an instant. The human brain is an intriguing organ. It seems to be in control of itself, and that the person is not 100% in control of their brain, which is true. I believe that God controls our brain, and Satan tempts our brain. If we study and follow God's word sincerely every day as best as we can, God will shut out Satan's voice in our brain, and we will eventually hear nothing from Satan. But, it is up to us as humans to make choices that lead to that happening. God will not let your brain shut out Satan's voice if you allow Satan to tempt you. You must be stronger than temptaion, essentially stronger than Satan himself!!! That can only be done with God's help, and God will only help when a person is sincerely seeking His help and has proven they are on the right path to following His word. Having said all that, you can see where my standing is on the "imperfect human" idea. It takes not only good choices, but a sincere interest and devotion to God in order to become perfect. The more you give God, the more God will give you! My honest feeling is that if a person allows themself the excuse of being naturally imperfect, they will never want to be perfect, because they essentially have told themself it is impossible. Nothing is impossible with God!!! While I am realistic with myself and know that I am in fact not perfect, if I don't allow myself the excuse that I will always be imperfect, I will be more perfect than if I allowed myself that excuse, you know what I mean? If there is anything you do, put 100% faith in God, because faith is the foundation of God's temple. Do not worry what clothes you will wear, what you will eat for lunch, or how much money will be left at the end of the week. If God provides for the animals of this planet, He will surely provide us with His blessings!
I know that was a little off topic, but I believe it still has everything to do with the subject. And my honest feeling is that NO denomination is the correct denomination. I am not a Lutheran, Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Mormon, or anything else. I am simply a straight to the point Christian. What God has said in the Bible is His word. What Jesus has said in the Bible is His word. What the pastor says about the Bible is not God's word, it is that particular pastor's opinion. You see the difference? I have love for everyone on this Earth, and I will not make a judgement about anyone for any reason. God will surely do that job, as He said He will!!! Ok, let's hear some more thoughts about this, c'mon!
We actually talked about this in youth group one night. My youth pastor was telling us a story about how this random person came up to my youth leader and they started talking about church, and the guy asked my youth leader what denomination he was. My youth leader's reply was "I am a follower of Christ, not a Christian. My denomination is a child of Christ, I pastor at a Baptist church though." This is one sermon of his I will always remember. As you said, church is about God and nothing else, so the denomination of the church should not matter, its the way you feel in the church if God lets you know its your place or not
I read your comment, and was very impressed with what you had to say about your preacher.
In my opinion...that put it all in a nut'shell...and how true it is:)
It amazes me to how some people are so wrapped up in doctrines, denominations..that they fail to really 'get it' about God.......period.
Some men on here will not even date a woman that isn't fromt he same church, or denomination.....thinking they won't be evenly yoked??? That is absurd.
Fanatics run rampant!!!!!!!
God is God...whether...baptist, luthern, methodist, pentacostal...etc,. etc.....!! His main concern is our SOUL...!!!! We aren't talking about dif' cultures..such as Hinudism...Buddism...etc,...that is a totally dif' story. Well it is to me anyway. Whatever a persons' prefrence is..is their business...but there is only one TRUE...God...>>>Jesus Christ!!!!!!!!! Amen:)))
I think we go to church not to observe whether the people there are good or bad, but to have fellowship with fellow believers. To be in a church means to encourage and uplift one another, to be accountable to one another, and to join fellow believers in praising and worshiping the Lord.
And, in order to know if your church is the true church or your denomination is the true denomination, you have to refer to the Bible as your guide. If you notice that the denomination you are in, is doing things contrary to what the Bible says, then you have all the options to leave and seek another denomination. "Seek and you shall find", the Lord said.
With regard to people having their own different interpretations of the Scriptures, don't be surprised about it. The Bible clearly warned us about the "tares" among the "wheat". And each one of us has the responsibility to examine upon ourselves if what we truly are ...are we the "tares"? or are we truly the "wheat".
In short, before we say that this and that denomination is not correct, that such denomination has different interpretation of the Scriptures, let us examine first if we are not barking at our own shadows. Who knows, maybe we too, have the wrong interpretations.
Pertaining to Sabbath, the Lord emphasized that He is the Master of the Sabbath. If we believe in Him, we have faith in Him, we trust Him, we follow Him, we love Him, we serve Him...then there is nothing for us to worry about Sabbath anymore. Please, be reminded that Friday in America, is Saturday in the Philippines. While we are keeping our Sabbath here, you are having fun and merrymaking over there.
Okay, everyone dealt with this all very well, so I'll stick to what I know: I work interdenominationally. I do nothing but go to various churches around North America and speak. Just last week, another preacher who worked for a Canadian evangelistic association said the exact same thing I did: The denomination on the outside of the building is meaningless.
I've been in churches where people were "swinging from the rafters" if you will; another church I remember in Detroit had the music and audio *offensively loud* - I mean, I like my music loud - but I literally wore earplugs to the service. I've been in another church where there was NO electronics permitted; no, not even a microphone for the speaker. Holding a microphone was too sexually suggestive (I'm not kidding). I've been in reserved churches, and churches where there was so many people slain in the Spirit it was like a war zone - you couldn't walk from one end of the room to the other.
Every single one of those churches had a special place in my heart, because every single one of them was doing something right, and I loved watching it. I loved seeing what the Lord was doing there.
My home church is a pentecostal church, but one baptist preacher buddy, after hearing my position on tongues, started at me "Why don't you just admit you're a closet Baptist?"
The denomination listed on the outside of the building is meaningless, because each church has its own, very individual beliefs - often quite contrary to what that particular denomination supposedly believes.
Furthermore, I will take it one step farther than what everyone has said here. Not only are we human (and prone to error) we are inherently wicked in our hearts. Selfish motives pervade everything we do - no matter how holy, and don't let anyone (including yourself) tell you any differently.
The selfish motives will always be there - the question is, do you have the right motive? And the only correct motive is obedience. You are not to be ruled by your selfish motives. I hear too many Christians talk about doing something in the flesh, as if to imply that there was some out-of-body experience to be had by Christians.
Sadly, most believers will never grasp this. As a consequence, most believers do not even know why they go to a church, or a specific denomination. Often they don't even know why they believe what they do.
dear folks, ian i really like what you say about the denomination is only on the outside of the building. thats so very true. because what we all are are christians.. the common denominator is JESUS CHRIST is our personal SAVIOR. i dont think its so much the denomination that draws us to our church.. as much as it is the people inside of the church.. we like to be with likeminded people. those who believe as we do. and as ian has said even denominations have differences inside the same denominations.
we may not totally agree with everything our preacher says. but to feel like youre where you belong .you will agree with them on most all subjects.. and you will bond with the ones around you. pentecostol ,baptist whatever comes after you are first and foremost a christian.. thats what you are.. a christian.. were all just christians, none any better than any others as GOD is not a respector of persons .. there is no right correct denomiation.. just go where you feel comfortable and can relate and folks have the same beliefs as you do.. the correct term to me is i am a christian.
For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. 1 Corinthians 11:19
This is the verse that speacks about denominations because it is biblical (some dissagree). Plus in America we have what is called non profit organizations. Which a sole propriator ( hope I spelled it right) or organization is responsible for the company or organization. Basically it shows who owns what. We all know God owns the churches but here in America State legislation shows ownership not to God but the the one who owns the land or building so in a way It is proof that " For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you the owner". Plus we all have different functions in one body like paul said the eye cant do what the hand does.
at me "Why don't you just admit you're a closet Baptist?"